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Opening a restaurant is an exciting opportunity and an expensive gamble with the median cost of around $275,000. In addition to creating great food and inviting atmosphere, the end goal is to be a profitable business, and that means understanding restaurant crime threats and protecting that investment with the right security system tools.
Top Foodservice Industry Vulnerabilities
Each segment of the foodservice industry has both common and unique risks, from QSR to full-service restaurants and bars. Understanding these risks allows owners to develop a plan to address them economically and effectively.
Here are just a few of the common top concerns:
Late hours and alcohol sales can mean increased vulnerabilities that can include unruly crowds
Employee theft, sweethearting, over-pouring, and vendor theft
The QSR segment is more vulnerable to violent crimes
Loss can due to food mishandling
Fraud and lawsuits, such as slip and fall, harassment and others.
Access Control and Restaurant Crime Prevention
Safety of the customers, employees, and the business are top priorities for restaurant owners, so developing a crime prevention plan is also a top priority. This means implementing security technologies and practices that help prevent crime from ever happening
One of the best ways to do that is to use access control to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing restricted areas, such as the office or storage areas. Not only does this keep the unauthorized out, but it also provides an accounting of who accessed protected areas.
Video Surveillance and Restaurant Crime Deterrence
No criminal wants to be caught. This is what makes video surveillance such an effective tool in restaurant security. Having a surveillance system covering the floor, parking, and patio areas makes it difficult for anyone to perpetrate crimes like fraud without being caught. Video surveillance is also helpful in deterring employee theft of time and product, and ensure that productivity and compliances are met.
Protection Technologies
Restaurant alarm systems are important for preventing unlawful entry and can prevent other causes of catastrophic loss, such as using fire alarms and monitoring to detect the first signs of smoke or fire.
Critical Response
You may not be able to prevent every possible crime, but you can plan a swift response with professional monitoring. Professionally monitored alarm and video surveillance systems ensure that in the event of an emergency a professional initiates help as quickly as possible. Having video surveillance is also helpful in equipping law enforcement with a reliable way to identify perpetrators and help see that justice is done.
Restaurant security is complex. Make sure that you are protecting yours with the right technologies implemented rightly. Call Sentry Alarm Systems for more information!